Who doesn’t love a scented candle? Life can be improved immeasurably by simply lighting one up and letting the warm fragrance enhance a room’s mood. If you pick the right smell, It can feel as if you’ve switched on an ‘add atmosphere’ button. But now every Tom Dick and Harry makes them, how do you pick the best ones? Our insider access has allowed us to sniff a lot of wax over the last year, so here’s a few of or favourite ones to invest in.

A word on candle etiquette. As well as burning them safely out of the reach of small children, we’ve learned that placing your candle is on an even surface allows an optimum burn, ensuring the whole wax surface gets molten. Keep wicks trimmed to 6 mms, although if you need to scent a room quickly, use a longer wick, but if you have time, go for a short wick and slower burn, the candle will last longer.

For lovely candles in decorative holders, you can’t beat Anthropologie. Its selection of pretty and quirky ones come in delightfully decorated containers that can be put to good use after the wax has long gone. Included above is the Capri Blue Golden candle – all three scents are pretty – in its festively metallic pot and the Jar Candle which claims 100 hours burn time.

For an under-the-radar beautiful niche brand, look at Birch & Brook. The fresh scents are beautifully balanced in natural waxes and are refreshingly gentle on the nose. The botanical Secret Garden is a winner but Library and Dressing Room are equally delicious and easy to love.

For a fail safe gift, I’ve never known anyone NOT get excited about receiving a Jo Malone candle. in its smart cream and black box, it makes a top dinner party, ‘thank you’ or birthday gift. Try the latest Mimosa & Cardamom candle, a gentle, pretty floral with a spiced edge, if you ask fans of Jo Malone what their burning, it’s usually Pomegranate Noir.

For a stylish non-gendered scents, head to The White Company’s website, where the gorgeous selection works for everybody. There aren’t any scents we wouldn’t recommend, but the newly released Twenty One, celebrating the company’s recent birthday, is good, as is Symons, which captures the essence of warm and cozy. Winter smells exactly how your home should smell during the holiday season.

For bespoke luxury in your own container, Rachel Vosper’s candles are hard to beat.  Rachel scents some of the world’s most luxurious places and will allow you to provide your own vessel to fill with scented wax. From a precious vintage tea cup to a giant stone urn, Rachel’s team will turn any (suitable) vessel into a scented candle, making it a beautifully personalised gift. We’d also recommend the candle making workshops Rachel does in her Knightsbridge atelier, she’s a fun host.

For a properly classy candle, head to British based perfumer Ormonde Jayne. Linda Pilkington’s fragrance brand is where many customers end up finding their favourite scents, (Tolu is ours) but she also makes extremely stylish candles, and she doesn’t skimp on the quality of the ingredients. her Scented Candle adds instant class to a room and the new festive Nocturne is like a warm and spicy cashmere hug.

And finally, for a bit of self gifting, we suggest Diptyque. Should We Wear perfume ever get on Radio Four’s Desert Island Discs, we would ask Kirsty for a lifetimes’s supply of Diptyque candles while we wait to be rescued. Blackcurrent-y Baies is the brand’s best seller, but Figuier is beloved by many, as is smokey Feu De Bois and citrus-scented Geranium Rosa. Take your pick really, they are all beautiful.

Who else on We Wear Perfume loves scented candles?

A vintage influence with Su and Romy Mason , Lucy Fry and Candle chandler Corina Bryce-Arnold